Bowling-alley.



E. G. STRONG.

BOWLING ALLEY.

APPLIGATION FILED 213.23, 1912.

awww/woz E. G. STRONG.

BOWLING ALLEY.

APPLIUATION FILED PBB.23,1912.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

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m J E E. G. STRONG.

BOWLNG ALLEY.

APPLICATION PIL-BD P3323, 1912.

mente@ Nov. 19, 1912.

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lldllllldgit npecincaton of.' Letters Patent.

i raeeneea nea la; rela application led February 33,! lilla. Serial No. 679,405.

pins ol a bowling alley alter they have been' knocked down said apparatus being so constructed that it may be actuated trom the iront end ot the alley ,or the playerls stand, thereby making it possible tor the players to reset the pins,'and thus dispense with an attendant at the rear end of the alley;

lt is the object of the invention to provide an apparatus of the kind stated which is de void of complicated parts to get out oi order, and which, lurthermorais ecient and reliable in operation7 and easily actuated.

With this object in view, the invention consists in a novel combination and arrangement oit parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part et this specidcation, in which drawings,

Figure l is an elevaticn ot the alley. llig. 2 is a plan view of the rear end thereof. lig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 8-3 of 2. Fig. l is an enlarged elevafA tion, partly in section, of a part of the mechanism hereinafter referred to; llig. 5 is a rear elevation of the alley. 6 is a'sectional view showinga modicatlon. V

Referring specitically to the drawings, l() denotes a bowling alley which niay be Constructed in any ordinary or preferred manner. Behind the pin field 1l, the alley, as

indicated at l2, slopes downward and to-v ward the center of a bud'er wall 13 extending across the rear end of the alley, said wall having a bottom opening lll at the center to which the balls are guided by the slope l2 ot the alley, so that they may Pass through said opening. Behind the butler is located a trough l5, extending across the rear end of the alley and adapted to receive the balls as they pass through the opening l/l. .The trough is adapted to be elevated, as Awill be presently described, lor the purpose of depositing the balls in a runway 16 which rei turns the balls to the front end ot the alley.

The rear end ot the runway is elevated so that theballs will return by gravity alter they are elevated thereinto. 'lhefront end ci the runway terminates in a galleryl?, as usual, lor holding the balls in convenient position tor use. immediately behind the pin held ll, and in advance of the bud'e'r wall 1 3,`is a swingingcurtain 18 which is lil-ted when struck by the balls to-permit there to pass to the slope l2 o the alley. The curtain prevents the balls from. re-

bounding bach to the alley, and it is connected at the back by a denible sheet 19 to the bilder wail i3.

Jdt the goin iield ll is mounted a traine which carries the resetting device. rlhe trame comprises corner posts 20 connected at the ton by longitudinal bars 2l, carrying vertically spaced platforms 22 and 23 resnectively.

'lhe resetting device comprises the tollow ing parts: To each pin 2l is connected a hoisting line 25 which passes Yupward through an opening 26 in a' vertically n1ov able spotting board 27, andthence through openings in the platforms 22 and 23. ln

the opening ot the lower platform are two opposite guide pulleys 28 between which the line passes, and in the opening oli the top plat-term is located a guide pulley 29 over which the line passes rearward and is connected to 'a spring-actuated winding drum 3G mounted on a shaft'l extending trans versely between and supported by the longitudinal bars' 2l. rlhe pulley 29 is mounted on a shaft 29 suitably supported on the platform 23. 'lhe springv 32 for actuatin the drum is secured at one end to the sha t 3l and has its other end made fast to the drum, and the latter also carries a ratchet wheel 33 engageable by a pawl 34 which is pivoted .on a rod 35 to swing in a vertical plane, said rodextending between and being supported by the longitudinal bars 2l'. The tall of the dog is located between the pulle 29 and the drum 30 and has an eye throng which the line 25 passes. ln the eye is mounted an anti-friction roller 34B. This end of the' dog is weighted so as to normally hold the other end in engagement with the ratchet 33, and in this position of the dog,

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the latter takes up the slack in that-portion of the line which is between the pulley 29 and the drum 30.` The slack in that portion of the line which is between the pin 24 and the pulley 29 is taken up by the following device: 0n a shaft 36, supported in a suitable bearing 36a mounted on the platform 22, is mounted, so as to be free to turn thereon, a disk-shaped member 37 to which is secured one end of a spring 37a the other end of which is made fast to the shaft 36. This spring tends to swing the member in the direction ofthe arrow shown in Fig. 4. The

member c'arries two or more rollers 38 jour! naledr on pins 388. The line 25p`asses over two diametrically-opposite Iones of these rollers, which are held normally opposite to each other in a substantially horizontal plane, thereby taking up the slack in. the line;

` When the pin 24 is held suspended by the line, the latter assumes the dotted Vline position, shown in Fig. 4, the member 37 being forced back against the tension of the spring 37a so that the rollers come diametricallyopposite each other in a vertical plane, but, as soon as the line is relieved of the weight of the pin, such as when the pin 24 is lowered to the pin-field and rests there, further delivery or paying out of the line will be taken up by the device assuming the first described position, lor an intermediate or 4further position. By paying out enough line beyond what isneeded to lower the pins to the floor, they are free to-move invany direction and the required distance to make any playl that is possible on a regular alley. The take-up devices take care of this extra amount of line so that it will not become entangled with the pins, or present an unsightly appearance by hanging slack about the pins. It will be of course understood that a hoisting and take-up device is provided for each pin.

1n operation, when one or more of the pins are knocked down, the hoisting lines 25 are given a sudden jerk, which causes the dog 34 to slip o the ratchet 33, thus releasing the spring winding drum 30, which latter thereupon winds up the lines so that the pins are elevated to the spotting board 27 their heads entering the openings 26 through which their hauling lines ass. The openings 26 correspond to the position of the pins when they are-properly spotted on the pin-ield 11, in view of which, the pins, after they have been elevated, may be! accurately reset upon lowering the board as will be presently described.

The spotting board 27'has outstanding brackets 39 on one of its edges, through which pass vertical guide-rods 40 located on one side of the alley. To the corners of the spotting board are made fast hoisting lines 41 which extend upward through openings lin the platforms 22 and 23 to pulleys 42 mounted in .the openings of the latter over which pulleys they pass and then extend rearward to hoisting drums 43 carried by the shaft 31.

On one end of the shaft 31 is a bevel gear 44 and on the other end is a sprocket wheel 45. The bevel gear is in mesh with a similar gear 46 on the upper end of a vertical shaft 47 mounted in suitable bearings on one side of the alleyT On the lower end of the shaft 47 is 'a bevel gear 48 which is in mesh with a similar gear 49 on one end of .a horizontal shaft 50 extending across the rear end of the alley and supported in suitable bearings carried thereby. On the other end of the shaft 50 is a sprocket wheel 51 over which runs a chain 52which extends to the front end of the alley, and passes thereat over `a sprocket wheel 53. To the gallery 17 is pivoted a lever 54 which is connected at one of its ends to the chain 52. Through this lever the chain 52 is made to travel over its sprocket wheels, thereby rotating the shaft 50, and through the gears 49, 48, 46 and 44 transmitting motion to the shaft 31 to wind or unwind the lines 41 and Vthus elevate or lower the spotting board 27. A suitable catch 55 is provided for locking the lever 54.

To the ends of the trough 15 are connected, by means of bails 56, hoisting lines 57 which are connected' to drums 59 on a shaft 60 extending between and carried by the bars 21. On one end of the shaft 60 is a sprocket wheel 61 which is connected by a chain 62 with the sprocket wheel 45.

It will be evident from the foregoing that when the shaft 31 is set in motion to unwind the lines 41 and thus lower the spotting board 27, the motion is transmitted to the shaft 60,.thereby winding the lines 58 on the drums 59 and eievating the trough 15, so that the balls may be discharged into the runway 16. When the spotting board is elevated, the trough is lowered to receiving position behind the wall 13.

A runway may be built on both sides of the alley so that when several alleys are built alongside each other the balls ma'y be dischar ed to the runway on either side by shortening the hoisting line 58 on the opposite side. .Also, two alleys may use a comends of the trough, as shown in Fig. 2.

ried back to the gallery 17. AThe lever is now operated to elevate the spotting board and to return the trough' to receiving position. i/Vhen the pins are lowered to the pin field, any slack in the hoisting lines will be taken up by the member 37 and the parts associated therewith, which are just strongy enough to do this, lthe pull on the lines not being enough to prevent the dogs 34 from engaging the ratchets 33 las soon as the pins reach the pin ield. When the pins are knocked down the slack in the hoisting lines must be taken up before the dogs can get a strong enough pull to be tripped;

W hen the shaft4 3l `is turned to elevate the spotting board, the springs 32 are Woundup. rlllhe spotting board having a greater distance to travel than the pins, since it must reach the body of the latter bv the time they reach the pin field, the diaineter.

ot the drums 43 is4 sllghtly greater than the diameter oit the drumsl 30.

Fig. 6 shows a slight modification of the resetting mechanism. The members 37 and the parts associated therewith are lett oli, and `the pins 24 are formed with a longi+ tudinal bore'66 in which is slidably mounted a small weight 67. The bore opens through the head of the pin, and is contracted at this end to prevent the weight trom passing out. The hoisting line 25 is connected to the Weight. The pin can move in a horizontal plane from its spot, or tip over until theslack is taken up, whereupon the jerk on the line that will result from the weight reaching the upper end of the bore will trip the dog 34.

i claim: 4

1. in a bowling alley, the combination ot' the pins, hoisting lines connected to the pins, spring drums to which the hoisting lines are conneoted-ratc'hets on the drums, dogs engageable with the ratchets for lockingthe drums, and a connection between the log's and the hoisting lines tor tripping the in a bowling alley, the combination oit the pins, hoisting lines connected tothe pins, spring drums to which hoisting lines are connected, ratchets on the drums, dogs engageable with the ratchets for locking the drums., a connection between the dogs and the hoisting lines tor tripping the dogs, a

,een

drums, dogs engageable with the ratchets,

for locking the drums, and a connection between the do s and the hoisting lines for.l

tripping the ogs. y

4. In a bowling alley, the combination ot the pins, hoisting lines connected to the pinsameans tor taking up the slack in the hoisting lines, spring drumsto which hoisting lines are connected, ratchets on the' drums, dogs enga cable with the 'ratchets for locking the` rums, a connection between the dogs andthe hoisting lines for tripping the dogs, a spotting board receiving the pins when elevated, and means for raising and lowering the spotting board.

5. lin a bowling alley, the combination of the pins, hoisting lines connected to the drums, said springs being connected to the shaft and Wound by rotating said shatt in spins, winding drums to which the hoisting lines are connected, a shattsupporting the drums, spr11igs'-ior operating the `winding one direction, ratchets on the drums, dogs y engageable with 'the ratchets for locking the drums, a connection between the dogs and the hoisting lines for tripping the dogs, a spottlng board receiving the pins when elevated, hoisting lines connected to the spotting board, winding drums for said hoisting lines,` saidV windin drums being carried by the aforesaid sha t, and means for operating the shaft. i I

6. lin abowling alley, the combination of the pins, hoisting lines connected to the pins, means for takingup the slack in the hoisting lines, winding drums to which the hoisting lines are connected, a shatt'snpporting the drums, springs for yoptnrating the winding drums, said springs being connected' to the shaft and wound by rotating said shaft in one direction, .ratchets on the drums, dogs engageable with the ratchets tor locking the drums, a connection between the dogsvand the hoisting lines for tripping the dogs, a spotting board receiving the pins when elevated, hoisting lines connected to the spotting board, winding drums tor said hoisting lines, said winding drums being izo carriedby the aforesaid shaft, and means elevated, and means for raising andl lowering the spotting board. Y

8. In a bowling alley, the combination of the pins, hoisting vlines connected I- to the 5 pins, means for taking up the slack in the hoisting llnes, resllient means for operating the hoisting lines, a look for said operating means, a connection between the lock and the hoisting lines vfor releasing the operating means, a spotting board receiving the 16 pins when elevated, and means for raising and lowering the spotting board.

In testimon lwhereof I aiixmy signature in presence o two witnesses.

EARL G. STRONG.

Witnesses:

OTIs E. HAMON, HOWARD C. STRONG. 

